Temple unveils Biotechnology Research Center

Temple University’s College of Science and Technology and the Sbarro Health Research Organization unveiled the North Philadelphia University’s new $3 million Biotechnology Research Center Tuesday afternoon.

The 20,000-square-foot center features wet and dry labs, administrative offices, a medical library and workspaces for visiting international scientists.

One unique feature of the center is its solid phase peptide synthesis and analysis facility. Peptides are used in the study of protein structures and the development of new treatments.

The research center will allow Temple’s Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, led by Dr. Antonio Giordano, to add 20 new research positions to the 60 researchers and 10 administrative staff already working there.

More than 50 researchers, university administrators and elected officials attended the ceremony marking the opening of the lab.

“In life what really counts is when a group of people get together and, without any egos, work to improve the quality of life,” Giordano said in front of the new lab space on the fourth floor of Temple’s Bio-Life Sciences Building. “I think we are a good example of this.”

The center’s researchers are focused on enhancing basic science research into chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Ann Weaver Hart, Temple’s president, noted the lab’s researchers are also working at translating their research into new tereatments for cancer and other diseases.

The Biotechnology Research Center was funded through a $1.5 million grant the Sbarro Health Research Organization received from the state and matching support from Temple through its College of Science and Technology. The Sbarro Health Research Organization, founded and led by Giordano, is a nonprofit charitable research organization that supports the Sbarro Institute.

A native of Italy, Giordano founded the Sbarro Institute with financial backing from Mario Sbarro, founder of the worldwide pizza restaurant chain, in 1993.